This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 97-65304, filed Dec. 2, 1997, in the Korean Patent Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for opening the shutter of a cartridge of an optical disc recording and reproducing device, and more particulary, to an opening apparatus for opening the shutter of the cartridge before the cartridge is advanced into the optical disc recording and reproducing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical disc D such as Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) is a recording medium on which information is recorded/reproduced by a recording and reproducing apparatus. The information is recorded/reproduced to/from concentric tracks of the disc D. Such an optical disc is loaded on a turntable by a disc loading device, thereby enabling rotation by a rotating device. While the optical disc D is being rotated, an optical pick-up device travels in a radial direction of the optical disc D and projects a laser beam onto the disc track. As a result, the information is recorded/reproduced to/from the disc.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus, and FIG. 2 shows a shutter opening apparatus of a conventional cartridge. As shown in the figures, the conventional optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus comprises a tray 16 on which a cartridge 10 is placed, a case 18 for receiving the tray 10, a deck base (not shown) installed inside the case 18 on which an optical disc D is placed, and a cover plate 22 coupled to an upper portion of the case 18.
A clamping hole 22a is formed at a central portion of the cover plate 22, and an end of a locker 24 which is fixed on the cover plate 22 is inserted into the clamping hole 22a. The locker 24 is coupled with a damper 26. The damper 26 chucks and/or releases a nonmagnetic portion of the optical disc D on a turn table (not shown) to/from the turn table.
As shown in FIG. 1, the cartridge 10 for accommodating the optical disc D includes a shutter 12. The shutter 12 is provided with a locking jaw 12a and is elastically supported by a spring 14. When the cartridge 10 is loaded inside of the case 18, the shutter 12 is opened by a shutter opening apparatus mounted on a lower surface of the cover plate 22.
The shutter opening apparatus includes a lever 28 pivotably mounted to the lower surface of the cover plate 22. The lever 28 has a protrusion 28a formed at the lower surface thereof which is inserted into a guiding slot 22b formed at the cover plate 22. At one end of the lever 28, a torsion spring 30 is installed. The torsion spring 30 returns the lever 28 to an initial position (shown in phantom line in FIG. 2).
After the cartridge 10 is accommodated onto the tray 16, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the other end of the lever 28 contacts with the locking jaw 12a of the shutter 12. And when the tray 16 is advanced inside of the case 18 by means of a loading device (not shown), the lever 28 is pivoted along a guiding slot 22b, and the shutter 12 is accordingly opened. When the tray 16 is ejected from the case 18 by the loading device, the lever 28 is pivoted by the torsion spring 30, and the shutter 12 is returned to the initial position. Consequently, the cartridge 10 is closed.
However, since the prior art shutter on opening device is installed on the cover plate, this placement increases the overall size/volume of the optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus. In addition, there are many instances where the prior art shutter opening device is inadequate when the lever is not precisely contacting with the hook or locking jaw of the shutter, or it fails to contact with the same during the contacting process.
The present invention has been made to overcome above problems, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shutter opening apparatus for accurately opening a shutter of a cartridge accommodated onto the tray, and subsequently decreasing the size/volume of an optical disc recording and reproducing device.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
To achieve the above and other objects of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for opening a shutter of a cartridge, including a tray to accommodate the cartridge, an opening section to open the shutter of the cartridge, a feeding section to feed the tray inside of the optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus, and a driving section to drive the opening section and the feeding section.
The tray is formed with a guide recess at an inner wall of a first longitudinal opening, and a mounting protrusion formed at a lower side thereof.
The opening section includes a worm shaft rotatably installed across the longitudinal opening, a bracket moved along the guide recess for opening the shutter of the cartridge, and a first bevel gear engaged with an end of the worm shaft. An end of the bracket is engaged with the shutter, while an other end thereof contacts with the feeding section. A guide protrusion is formed at the side of the bracket, and inserted into the guide recess.
The feeding section includes a slide bar. The slide bar is provided with a rack formed at a side thereof and engaged with the driving section, a second longitudinal opening into which the mounting protrusion is inserted, and an end which contacts with an end of the bracket. The slide bar moves from a first position to a second position by the operation of the bracket. A bias spring for biasing the slide bar toward the first position is disposed between the slide bar and the tray. The rack is separated from the driving section when the slide bar is at the first position, and engaged with the driving section when the slide bar is at the second position.
The driving section includes a motor installed at the inner portion of the case for generating a driving power, a second bevel gear rotated by the motor and engaged with the first bevel gear, and a loading gear engaged with the feeding section for feeding the feeding section to the inner portion of the case.
After the cartridge is accommodated on the tray, the motor is driven to rotate the worm shaft. And at this time, the bracket is moved along the guide recess to open the shutter while moving the slide bar from the first position to the second position. When the slide bar is moved to the second position, the loading gear is engaged with the rack, while the first and second bevel gears are separated from each other. Consequently, the tray is fed into the case.
According to the present invention, the shutter of the cartridge is opened outside of the optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus without a failure before the optical disc is loaded. Additionally, the volume of the optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus is reduced and the loading errors of the optical disc are also prevented.